NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 15, 13 October 1942, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF

Minister In Home Guard

The Minister of Railways and Transport, Mr. Semple, has joined t'he Parliamentary Home Guard. A pioneer section, whose duties involve demolitions, the handling of explosives, and cover field engineering activities generally, will be part of the organization as it is ot other Home Guard units, and when it is formed Mr. Semple will have charge ot it. In work of this kind Mr. Semple has had considerable practical experience. Child’s Death. Annette Margaret Jones, _ aged oJ months, daughter of Private Stanley and Mrs Jones, formerly of Hokitika, died in Ashburton Hospital from shock and scalds through falling into a bath of hot water at the 'home of her grandparents on Saturday.—P.A.

Men of Nine Nations. Men of nine nations were present at a social gathering held at the Sailors’ Rest, Port Chalmers. The countries represented were England, Scotland, New Zealand, the United States, the Netherlands, Eire, Australia. Norway and India. The national anthems of four countries were sung in the course of the entertainment provided. Windfall for Charity. Bequests totalling nearly ±booo, almost solely to Auckland charities, have been provided for iu the- will of Mr. Charles Henry Owens, a retired farmer, who died in Auckland on October 2. Mr. Owens made five bequests of £lOOO each, two or £5OO, one of £2OO, and 13 of £lOO each. The estate has been sworn for probate purposes at under £13,500.

Poor Whitebait Season. The poorest whitebait season .for many vears is being experienced in Westland, where only small catches have been made at a time when the season should have been at its height. One or two rivers in South Westland have had their usual run. A good season is worth about £7OOO to fishermen in rivers around Hokitika, but so far their catch has amounted bnly to about £lOO.

Demand For Seized Liquor.. Bottles of whisky brought up to £2 each at a sale of spirits impounded by the Customs in Auckland. About 40 bottles were offered, and approximately the same quantity of brandy and gin. Brandy realized up to 35/- and gin 31/-. High prices were also paid for parcels of 500 American cigarettes, one assorted parcel bringing £2/15/-, the rest selling at 7/6. These two categories brought most attention from buyers.

School Air-Raid Shelters. A decision to forward a letter to tho Prime Minister drawing his attention to the delay in the construction of air-raid shelters for school children was made at a meeting last night of the Wellington School Committees and Educational As-. . sociation. It is to be pointed out that the association considers the matter of paramount importance, and urges that the. ' work be put in hand without further A delay. Danes Aim For Spitfire. Mr. E. A. Dahl, Wellington, president of the Danish Association in New Zea- - land, has received a letter from Mr. E. - Blytgeu-Petersen, a member of the executive of Frit Danmark (Free Denmark) in Loudon, congratulating him on having started 'the Danish Association. “I think that your Spitfire collection aiming nt £5OOO for one more plane for the.,,.. R.N.Z.A.F. is a splendid way of expressing your feelings in the present struggle. New Zealand Doctor’s Success. . The Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize, awarded annually by the Edinburgh Ull--versity in forensic medicine, has been, won by Dr. L. F. Brown, M. 8., Ch.B., formerly -of Auckland. Dr. Brown, who is 25, was educated at King's School amiKing’s College before leaving tor Edinburgh six years ago. He is at present attached to the professorial stall ot Edinburgh University as assistant to Irofessor Sydney Smith, dean of the faculty of forensic medicine.

£lO Fine For Censorship Breach. « "This is one of the worst cases have come before me,” said Mr. Luxtorq/ S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, -Auckland, when Albert Tronson Garlick pleaded guilty to a breach of the censorship regulations. Garlick had written to his son overseas informing him of certain grounds and buildings taken over by the authorities, said the magistrate. He hpu written about everything he knew br could observe. Garlick said that he had written what he ■thought would interest his son. A fine of £lO was imposed.

Shore a Million Sheep. Mr. William ("Bullocky Bill ) Hamilton who was a shearer for 4o years and on ’his own calculations has shorn 1 000 000 sheep, has retired from shearing at the age of 60. He is now a Sydney watersider. He travelled all over Australia and New Zealand, following the shearing from shed to' shed. He broke a record at Springfield, Australia, vheie over a period of about 15 weeks he shore nearly 200 a day. At Da mgra tralia, he broke a record tor rams.

New Zealand Hay in U.S.A. A Boston newspaper which has pten received by an Auckland resident st? I }*, that cows on some of the farms at I' fleet “n the Cape Cod district ofMassachusetts, have been munching New Zea land hay as the result of a b «i«heombiu» expedition by their owners. Eleven largi bales of hay were discovered after being brought in by the tide, every one bun. marked “Fine Marlborough Hay SnPPT Company, C. W. Parker, Limited Blenheim New Zealand. It was thought that ’the hay was part of a^ ec k load on a merchantman bound tor Britain.

Enemy Guns for Training. Old German ami Austrian guns, forniing part of the collection of war trophies at the Canterbury Museum, have been given to the bomb disposal section m Christchurch for training purposes. Though the primary duty of the section is the disposal of unexploded bombs the men are trained in other aspects of army engineering, including demolitions lhe old aims will be used in this phase ot traiffing! Ind, after they have been blown up, th; Pieces will scrap. The trophies have little if anj historical value, because the guns are of common types, to be seen in nian J ( .?. la u® s in New Zealand. The museum still has a representative collection.

Back to the Copybook. The suggestion that copybooks should be reintroduced into schools to improve the standard of writing was made at a meeting of 'the Wellington fechool Comand Educational Association last nirtit Comment and resolutions at a pie vtous meeting of the association when the subject was discussed had diaun several protests. Included was one from the headmasters’ organization, who said that if members of the association ueie to take into consideration all the relevant factors, they would probably revise their opinion. The association decided to ask the headmasters to give consideration to establishing a standard of writing b. copybooks or other suitable means.

Thoughtless Riders. .. . „ The sight ot two gallop in,, horses on the bitumen surface of the Parade Oriental Bay, on Sunday was another example of the thoughtless treatment of horses that appears to be meted out by some persons who hire horses. Whatever would have happened to the men if the horses lost their footing on the hard surface, it is certain that the mounts would have been well knocked about, possibly to an extent necesistating their destruction. On another occasion recently two men were found riding as hard as they could on one medium hack. This was a hired horse and the indignant representative of the owner gave them a good dressing down, made them pay double hiring fee and walk back to the stable.

Essential Work Declined. . “I still have no intention of going to the work allotted me, and want to say t hat I am at present engaged on essential work-in a tearoom,” said . a young woman when pleading guilty in the Magistrates’ Court, Hamilton, to having tailed to comply with instructions from the manpower officer to takrup certainesseiitinl work. It was elated in evidence that she had previously written refusing to comply and had lodged an appeal, which had been dismissed by the manpower industrial committee. Originally she had applied for work with the A.rmy authorities and still wanted to do'that work. The magistrate advised defendant. not to be foolish, recorded a conviction. and adjourned for two weeks the question of imposing any penalty.